BIOGRAPHY

Genthe was born in Chernivtsi, Chernivtsi Oblast, Ukraine (then Austria-Hungary) on 7 May 1914. At the age of 19, she got married and went on to have two daughters, Waldtraut in 1932/3, and Rosalinde in 1940.

World War II forced her to flee her hometown in Ukraine. Her husband was drafted into the army in 1942. Along with her daughter, she was first moved to Leipzig, then to Lodz in 1941, and three years later, to Bitterfeld. There, she fulfilled her dream of becoming a cook. In 1959, she moved to Hoyerswerda with her husband, who passed away ten years later. She worked in local restaurants and the Deutsche Reichsbahn company kitchen until her retirement in 1974.

At 102, she moved to an apartment in Neustadt. Remarkably healthy at the time, she needed no prescribed medication and only took garlic tablets daily. She remained actively engaged in crocheting, a hobby she loved. Her daughter Waldtraut died in 2018. At the age of 106, she had four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren. On the occasion of her 108th birthday, Lord Mayor Torsten Ruban-Zeh (SPD) conveyed congratulations on behalf of the city.

Irmgard Genthe passed away in Hoyerswerda, Saxony, on 30 September 2024, at the age of 110 years, 146 days.

RECOGNITION

On 1 April 2024, following the passing of 110-year-old Anna Seidel, she became the oldest (known) living person in Saxony, at the age of 109 years, 330 days. Upon her own passing, she was succeeded by Ilse Neumann.

Her age has not been validated by LongeviQuest.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Glückwunsch zum 106. Geburtstag!” – Sächsische, 7 May 2020

* “Irmgard Genthe begeht ihren 107. Geburtstag” – hoyte24, 7 May 2021

* “Die älteste Hoyerswerdaerin ist jetzt 108” – hoyte24, 9 May 2022

* “Lebenswunsch erfüllt: 110 Jahre alt!” – MSN, 8 May 2024

* Irmgard Genthe: Traueranzeige – SZ Trauer

GALLERY